Acast's Podcast Blog | Find resources, inspiration, and more

The ultimate guide to growing your podcast audience in 2026

How to grow your podcast audience in 2026: the levers that move listens, the metrics that matter, and how one episode becomes 20+ pieces of content.

Acast team

August 25, 2026

Subscribe to our newsletter

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Featured

12 unique examples of photography portfolio websites

Should I self-host my podcast or use a hosting platform?

Self-hosting gives you control over your server and data, but a dedicated podcast hosting platform handles distribution, analytics, and monetization automatically. For most creators, the choice is straightforward.

Simon Franklin

August 5, 2026

Resources

How podcast RSS distribution works (and how to set up your feed)

Podcast RSS distribution works by publishing one file that every podcast app reads. You submit it once per platform, then publishing an episode sends it everywhere. Here's what's inside a feed, how long each app takes to update, why the feed is also how you get paid, and how to take it with you if you leave.

Simon Franklin

August 4, 2026

Resources

What's a good download number for a podcast?

More than about 30 downloads in an episode's first week puts you ahead of half the podcasts in the world. Here are the real 2026 benchmarks, why genre changes everything, and when your numbers are ready to make money.

Acast team

August 4, 2026

Resources

Tips

Articles

Blog

News

Insights

Guides

Tricks

The ultimate guide to growing your podcast audience in 2026

Should I self-host my podcast or use a hosting platform?

How podcast RSS distribution works (and how to set up your feed)

What's a good download number for a podcast?